Vehicle Occupant Identification for Privacy-Safe Pre-Drive Personalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems lack an efficient method to determine the identification of an occupant within a vehicle, especially when the propulsion system is off, and this gap exposes vehicles to risks such as identity theft and automotive hacking.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a processor, communications interface, and memory that receives signals from sensors about detectable characteristics of the occupant when the vehicle is stationary. This information is used to produce a prediction of the occupant's identification, allowing for personalized settings of vehicle components without transmitting personally identifiable information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle systems collect and transmit personally identifiable information to determine occupant identification, then personalized vehicle settings can be achieved, but security risks such as identity theft and automotive hacking increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes personally identifiable information from the data collection process. Instead of collecting PII, the system uses anonymous sensor data (weight, position, biometric features) that can still identify occupant preferences without exposing sensitive personal information. This extraction of harmful elements (PII) while retaining useful functionality resolves the contradiction between personalization and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that translates sensor data into occupant identification without directly handling or transmitting PII. The system uses intermediate representations (anonymous profiles, preference patterns) as mediators between the sensor data and the personalized settings, preventing direct exposure of sensitive information while enabling personalization.
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle determines occupant identification when the propulsion system is off, then personalized settings can be applied before driving, but the system requires additional processing capabilities when energy is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs occupant identification and preference detection in advance, when the vehicle is off or in idle state, before the propulsion system starts. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-configure personalized settings so that when the driver enters and starts the vehicle, the preferences are already loaded and ready, reducing real-time processing energy requirements while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for determining an identification of an occupant within a vehicle can include a processor, a communications interface, and a memory. The memory can store an information reception module, an identification prediction module, and an actuation module. The information reception module can cause the processor to receive, via the communications interface, from at least one sensor, and at a time when a source of a propulsion force for the vehicle is in an off state, at least one signal having information about at least one detectable characteristic associated with the occupant within the vehicle. The identification prediction module can cause the processor to produce, based on the information, a prediction of the identification of the occupant. The actuation module can cause the processor to cause, in response to a production of the prediction, a setting of a component of the vehicle to have a specific value.